


practical advice

by WattStalf



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-23 22:25:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9682955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: Yukimura offers to advise Corrin, but she isn't sure if he can help her with this one.





	

**Author's Note:**

> idk i love this man so much

Corrin hears a knock at her door and, sighing, asks the person to please come in. She had been puzzling over a particular problem that’s been on her mind for quite some time, and she isn’t really in the mood to entertain guests, but she wouldn’t actually turn anyone away. She turns her attention to the door, forcing a smile as Yukimura enters the room.

What an odd coincidence, that he would come here now. She’s become rather used to him coming to talk to her, which is part of the problem, but to think he’d show up right now, while she was so troubled.

“Did you need something?” she asks.

“No, nothing in particular,” he replies. “Actually, I came by to ask you if you needed anything.”

It’s far from the first time he’s started a conversation this way, and the two of them have grown close specifically because of the fact that he felt as though he needed to offer whatever service he could to her. Something about still feeling obligated to look after her, she assumed.

“Now, now,” she says, “I told you last time, and the time before that, if I need something, I’ll let you know.”

“I know, but...it feels like it’s starting to become a habit. Checking up on you, I mean.” He offers a slight smile, pausing for a moment. “And, if it isn’t out of place for me to say this...I’ve noticed you seem a bit...off? At least, as of late.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she lies. “I haven’t been feeling particularly off.”

“Perhaps I’m just reading too much into things, but I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t anything bothering you. You know that if there’s anything I can help you with, I’m always willing.”

“There’s nothing worth troubling you with.”

“Now, I don’t know about that!” he exclaims. “I can offer any sort of advice for any sort of problem, no matter how trivial you may think it is! Even if you just need someone to listen, I can lend an ear.”

It’s incredibly tempting, considering the fact that this has been bothering her for a while and she hasn’t had anyone to talk to about it, and considering the fact that she finds Yukimura really easy to talk to. But she knows that it’d be far too risky to talk to him about this without revealing the root of the problem, so she waves her hand and says, “No, no, there’s nothing.”

“Not to say that I don’t trust you, but I can tell that there’s something bothering you that you’re trying to keep to yourself. If you really don’t want to talk to me, then I understand, but I just want you to know that you can trust me with anything.” Yukimura sounds so very earnest as he speaks that she feels bad for him, and guilty for not coming up with something to tell him.

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to be a little honest with him. Blushing, she looks down as she says, “I doubt you’d be interested in giving me...romantic advice.”

“Oh, is that what’s troubling you?” He seems a bit flustered but steadies himself. “I may not have much...direct experience, but there are some practical aspects I could attempt to advise you on. If anything, I could at least listen to your situation. It might help to at least get it off your chest.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t really want to listen to all the particulars…”

“I want to listen to whatever you feel comfortable sharing with me, Lady Corrin.”

“Say I’m interested in somebody…” she starts, deciding to keep this as vague as possible. “I’m interested in somebody, but I don’t think it’s going to work out.”

“Oh? And why not?”

Laughing, she shakes her head. “This is too weird to talk about. Isn’t it?”

“If you’re uncomfortable, feel free to stop, but I don’t think this is all that weird. Do you mind telling me why it isn’t going to work out?”

“He’s, uh...he seems pretty unattainable,” she mumbles.

“Unattainable for a princess?” he asks. “That seems a little unbelievable. Any man should consider himself lucky to have someone like you interested in them. Unless you mean that he’s already involved with someone else…”

“No, it isn’t that. I just don’t think he’d ever see me like that.”

“Hmm…” He looks to be considering her words, and she hopes that he doesn’t guess their meaning. “Is it one of your brothers? Ah, I know that you’ve recently learned that there aren’t any...blood ties, but you might be afraid that they’ll still see you as a sister?”

“No, it’s not them!” she quickly says, not wanting him to get the wrong idea even though she also doesn’t want him to know the truth.

“Then who could it be that’s so unattainable?”

“I’d rather not share that.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t want to tell someone else if you can’t even tell them. I can understand that,” he says. “Oh, but there’s an idea! You won’t know how they feel about you until you try. Perhaps you should come out and confess your feelings.”

“And if he rejected me?”

“But he might not!”

“But if he  _ did _ , then things would change, and I wouldn’t want him to hate me.”

“I doubt he would hate you, but, then again, I doubt he would reject you. Either way, I think you’re more miserable now, not knowing. If you’re always wondering what could have been, then it’ll be very hard for you to move on.”

She knows that his advice is good, but she can’t bring herself to follow it. “I don’t know about that.”

“You could always practice,” he suggests. “At least if you know what you’re going to say and have practiced saying it, it might be easier.”

“That’s silly,” she says with a laugh.

“Oh, come on,” he says. “Humor me? The worst that could happen is you decide you still don’t want to. But you might as well get a little practice in.”

“I really don’t think practicing is going to do any good…and it’s so embarrassing!”

“Think nothing of it! Better to practice with me, right? You know I won’t make fun of you, and it was  _ my _ suggestion,” he says with a warm smile that she couldn’t dream of saying no to.

“Fine, but...just a little bit. And don’t say I didn’t warn you, I’m gonna look so silly,” she says.

“I doubt it,” he replies. “Now, go on. Give it your best shot!”

“Alright,” she says, taking a deep breath. “Listen, I...for a while now, we’ve been getting close, and I’ve really enjoyed the time we’ve spent together, but...my feelings have changed a lot, and gotten a lot stronger. That is...what I’m trying to say is...I love you. I’ve fallen in love you.”

By the end of her mock confession, she’s grown serious, looking Yukimura directly in the eyes as she speaks. As soon as she ends her sentence and silence descends on them, she realizes just how far she took that, and she feels her face growing red.

Yukimura remains silent for a moment before clearing his throat and giving a half-hearted laugh. “That was...incredibly realistic, Lady Corrin. If I didn’t know any better, I fear my heart may have skipped a beat.”

“I love you,” she repeats, her hands shaking at her sides.

He laughs again, his own cheeks darkening. “That’s, uh...I think you’ve really got it. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like you need much practice.”

“I’m in love with you.”

“Yes, yes, that’s very good.” Now, he seems visibly nervous. “If you were to try that on them, I’m sure they’d be absolutely helpless. I think...I know you don’t want to tell him, but I think you should give it your best shot. That’s just my advice.”

“You think I should tell him?”

“I do.”

“No matter what?”

“No matter what.”

“Okay, then I will,” she says.

“You will? Excellent, I hope everything goes well for you.” Yukimura is still visibly nervous.

“I love you,” she says, looking up at him sincerely. “I love  _ you _ , do you understand?”

“You’re...are you still practicing?” When she shakes her head, he says, “So, this is, uh..this is the real thing then?”

“I’m sorry,” she quickly says. “I’m sorry if this changes everything, or if you hate me, or-”

“I’m so happy,” he interrupts her. “You know, I didn’t want to let on that I was feeling jealous, but I...hearing that you had someone you were interested in...I knew, given my position, I should be happy for you, but I’ve had feelings for you for quite some time and though I never thought you would think of me...I mean, even just given the age difference, I never even dared to dream!”

“Wait…” His words take her by surprise, and it takes her a moment to process what he’s saying. “Do you mean you…?”

“Do I love you? Of course I do,” he says with a warm smile. “And it makes me so happy to know that you love me as well.”

“Yukimura, I...you know, I could say the same to you? I didn’t think you would ever look at me as anything other than a child, I thought you would think I was too young for you, or that it would be too weird.”

“Perhaps some would say that I should have, but...I never thought anything of the sort. I could only see you as the beautiful woman you’ve become.”

She doesn’t really know what to say to him now. After spending so much time expecting to be met with rejection and planning to never tell him, this night has moved so fast. Somehow, she managed to get up the nerve to confess, and Yukimura admitted to returning her feelings, rather than rejecting her. She doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do from here, so she simply stares up at him.

“Oh, I...suppose this is where I’m supposed to kiss you, isn’t it?” he asks. “Would that be alright?”

Corrin nods, closing her eyes, and she feels his hand cupping her cheek as he leans down to pull her into a kiss.


End file.
